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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. spell — magic
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. foot — a measure
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stem — to come from
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com